Quintessential Art Deco
Built in 1940 and designed by Lawrence Murray Dixon, whose other notable works include the Temple House, the Raleigh Hotel, and the Dixon Hotel, the McAlpin is the quintessential example of the Art Deco architecture that has come to define South Beach. Many of the area’s hotels were built around this time, all adorned with geometric shapes and sunburst motifs. In the decades that followed, neglect took its toll, eroding nouveau beauties into weathered clunkers. In 1979, Miami Beach’s Art Deco District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and since then, dozens of buildings like the McAlpin have been completely restored. The people of Miami, and eventually the rest of the world, suddenly took notice of this architectural treasure trove, and South Beach was soon transformed from a quiet community of retirees to a sexy playground for the wealthy and waifish.
Shining with pink, white, and teal – Miami’s ubiquitous color scheme – the McAlpin Hotel’s tripartite facade featuring three turquoise prongs is the centerpiece of the perfectly symmetrical exterior. Pink concrete awnings, horizontal bars, and large dots accent the trident impeccably against the bright white foundation. The theme continues inside, on the lobby’s marbled floors. Beneath jalousie windows and above the front entrance, the deep green McAlpin sign complements the palms and shrubs lining Ocean Drive.
Info
Address 1430 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, +1 305.604.8225 | Tip Carnivores rejoice – BLT Steak (1440 Ocean Dr) is a half block north of the McAlpin. Enjoy a fine selection of Wagyu beef inside the grand Betsy Hotel.
Each morning in South Beach, the sunrise signals the end of yet another raucous night, as partyers stumble their way back from nightclubs like Liv and Story to some of the most famous hotels in the country. At this hour of the morning, the Colony, Carlyle, Cardozo, and Clevelander are full of glitterati pulling down their shades. But at the northern end of Lummus Park, South Beach’s most beautiful hotel stands disguised as just another face in a crowd of supermodels.
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